vance_the_cubs_fan

I'd prefer Dierker to Girardi, though Joe wouldn't be a bad choice.

Queen with the victory....!

It's too early to say Hill has turned the corner, but I am pleased with his performance the past two games. It should give him somewhat of a longer leash with the Cubs FO and hopefully keep him penciled into the rotation until the end of the season. With the promise that our young pitchers (Marshall, Hill, Marmol) are showing at the major league level, the Cubs will have more options for next season, both in filling out the rotation and in possible trades.

It's not surprising Hill has looked good today. He's always done well in AAA and the Pirates are a team that closely resembles a AAA team. :P

I agree that the Royals erred in not sending Sisco back to the minors to work on becoming a starter. Of course, with his make-up issues, Sisco may not have handled the demotion well.

Wow...a tie again!

I'll sign up soon.

You've covered some mileage this week!

I'd imagine he'd join a contender. RedSox? edit or Anaheim as suggested above. You're probably right. I wouldn't rule him out joining Houston.

Two vote lead by Queen.

Cruz received his release from the Dodgers today. They are now on the hook for the rest of his salary. Cruz would be a better reserve outfielder than Pagan right now. He'd be worth a look as he could be a decent bench option for next season.

The Mississippi Braves have the same promotion.

This one is going to be a rout. Go Zeppelin.

Queen rallies for a one vote lead!

Someone needs to find Uber and tell him it's his pick.

This is bogus. I feel like when it's tied at the deadline there should be at least a 24 hour extension.

The real reason Maddux didn't go back out after the rain delay!

Maybe he should have....

And the Rangers win 7-3! Four wins in a row. Next up....Seattle!

DeRosa with his first career grand slam off Lackey to give the Rangers a 7-2 lead in the fifth. The Rangers a trying to extend the winning streak to four games.

LSU will take care of that! It wouldn't surprise me to see them winning it all either. I'll be surprised. LSU has some huge question marks and some of their touted recruits are having trouble getting accademically eligible.

That might be enough to get Hollandsworth back. Maybe Jaime Navarro. Oh, I forgot...........when posting a trade I should overvalue whoever the Cubs are trading for and undervalue the Cubs prospects......... my bad! Jerome Williams is a 24 year old that has MLB experience and decent stuff. Angel Guzman is a 24 year old that has MLB experience and GREAT stuff. Theriot is a good player. He's also young and cheap. Berg is a 22 year old with decent upside. Atlanta develops their prospects as well. What do some of you guys/gals think it will take? I can't wait for the Prior/Pie/Guzman/Brownlie/Petrick/Veal.........etc. I don't think a package of Williams, Guzman, Theriot and Berg comes close. Williams is viewed as a big question mark. Though he's young and has shown some promise, there are as many draw backs with him as there are strenghts. He wouldn't be the centerpiece. Guzman's injury issues and inconsistent performance this year would lower his value. Theriot, while I like him, is viewed as major league utility guy and not a starter. Berg may have some upside, but he's a throw-in here. If the Cubs trade for Jones, one marquee name will be in the deal and it will Pie. To think a deal will happen without Pie being a part of it is dreaming. As I said, I expect Pie, one pitcher of Guzman, Marshall, Hill, Marmol and then one of a Gallagher, Veal, Paweleck. Might it not be that much? Maybe. But it will include someone that it hurts to trade, and likely two or three players that it will hurt to trade. We won't get this done with a bunch of "maybe" prospects.

LSU will take care of that!

I don't think there's any doubt that Pie would be the center piece for any deal for Jones. That's a given. The remaining pieces are up for debate. The Braves might ask for higher ceiling, lower-level guys like Paweleck. They could ask for guys that already have service time like Marshall or Marmol. My guess is that they would want Pie + one of Marshall, Marmol, or Guzman + one of a group that could include Gallagher, Paweleck, or Veal. The price will be steep, but considering what the prospects are for the Cubs adding an impact bat, I'd probably make the deal.

All tied up!